“Fruit Bagging as Pest

Management Option
for Pomelo Fruits”
Lennard Segundo

Aldrin Bigwel

Johny Buyawe
Background of The Study
• Pomelos( Citrus Maxima) are naturally occurring
fruit trees in Southeast Asia, mainly in the Malaysian
region, where they are grown as a crop. They
believed this to be the largest citrus fruit. (Thulaja,
2017).
• Some of it’s characteristics are have a sweet or sour
flavor depending on its variety and level of
ripeness,can be consumed processed or raw and
rich in vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants
that boost the body's defense mechanisms
Top Producing Country
Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops in the world, being
grown in more than 140 countries worldwide. With an annual citrus
production of 458,224 tons, China is one of the top citrus-
producing countries. Pomelo (Citrus grandis), with an average yield
of 33,280 tons, is the third most popular citrus variety in China,
behind Citrus reticulata and Citrus sinensis. Pinghe County is the
area best known for producing pomelo (Fujian Province, China).
(Le Van Dang et. al. 2021)
 Philippines
• Since 2015, there has been a decrease in pomelo production volume
in the Philippines. In 2021, the country produced 26.93 thousand
metric tons of pomelo, a decrease from over 30.14 thousand metric
tons the year before. Pomelo is a popular citrus fruit in the Philippines
that is normally harvested from November to January.(Philippine

“
Statista Research Department 2022)

• According to the yearly per capita production index, the

Philippines produced 97 percent fewer pomelos in 2020 than
they did in 2018, a year with a yield of at least 100% and a
downward trend in output over the previous six years. (2021,
Statista Research Department)
◦ Pomelo was mostly produced in the Philippines' Davao region
(PSA, 2020).
◦ A total of 5,087 hectares were planted in 2019. Nearly 40% of the
land cultivated comes from the larger area in Davao and
Zamboanga Del Norte (PSA, 2020).
◦ The main producers are Davao City, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya,
and the production reached 26,753 Mt with a value of 844.59
million.
◦ In contrast to Davao, where pomelo is grown for commercial
purposes, pomelo is a small crop in other parts of the country that
is grown in backyards either for family consumption or, in some
circumstances, for additional money.
Cordillera Region
◦ Fruit production in CAR increased by 5.6 percent in 2020, from
25,391 metric tons in 2019 to 26,816.6 metric tons in 2020.
◦ Abra leads the region in the production of fruit crops, including
pomelo, with an overall output of 8, 197.2 Mt, followed by Apayao
with 28.3% and Ifugao with 14.2%.
◦ Pomelo farming is a part of agroforestry in the province of Ifugao in
order to conserve the environment, adapt to climate change, and
generate additional revenue.
◦ Since corn monoculture requires a lot of attention from farmers,
particularly in Alfonso Lista, which is known as the "corn granary" of
the Cordillera, pomelos are regarded as backyard crops.
 Fruit Bagging
◦ Infections and pest invasions are the two main problems with pomelo
farming. Fruit bagging is a commonly utilized procedure in the fruit
production process. To protect the fruit from being contaminated by viruses,
being attacked by insects, and being harmed by adverse environmental
conditions like strong winds and sunlight, the producers cover the fruit with
bags. Many different types of bags are used, such as clear or opaque paper
or plastic bags (Hiratsuka et. al. 2012).
◦ Numerous research has looked at the effects of fruit shadowing on citrus.
According to the vast majority of studies, bagging improves citrus fruit's
commercial appearance by resulting in a smoother peel surface and fewer
defective spots (Magwaza et al.2019).
Objectives
To secure the production of ripe, high-quality off-season pomelo fruits
and examine the effectiveness of bagging the fruit as a method of pest
and disease control. The following objectives are listed below.

A. Evaluate the effect B.Determine the C.To identify

of the following fruit bagging method challenges in the use
bagging methods in that will bring about of the various
safeguarding the the most profit; bagging methods for
fruits from pest and pomelo fruit
diseases; production.
 Importance of The Study
The following will benefit from this study:
◦ Farmers. They will learn more about other techniques of producing pomelo from the
study's findings. This study might encourage them to cultivate pomelo as a cash crop.
◦ IFSU students. The study's findings will inspire students to see the value of pomelo
production as a source of revenue and its health advantages.
◦ Researchers. The researchers will be able to pick up tips regarding pomelo
production, including how to use fruit bagging techniques, calculate return on
investment, and break the monocropping in the area.
◦ Future Researchers. This study can be used as a guide for more in-depth analysis and
research on pomelo production as well as other possible solutions.
◦ Place and time of the study
From January through April 2023, this study will be carried out on the pomelo plantation
owned by Ifugao State University.
Materials an Methods
◦ Materials needed
The tools required for each specific tree include scissors, a tape
measure, weighing scales, urea, plain paper bags, newspaper
bags, citrus fruit bags, commercial transparent fruit bags, and
cling wrap.
◦ Experimental Lay-out
The experimental area is near the RDET office at the Bliss,
IFSU Potia Campus. An aerial view of the area is shown below
using Google Maps, along with information about the data that
are present there.
Bliss, IFSU Potia Campus
 Cultural Management
◦ Weeding. For treatments 1-4, weeding or weed removal will be observed
every 2 weeks.Upon observation of the tall grasses surrounding or in
between the pomelo trees, grass cutting will be used to cut those grasses to
reduce competition between the pomelo trees and the weeds in terms of
light, nutrients, space, and water absorption.
◦ Pruning of Pomelo trees. To prevent disease or insect infestation, the
pomelo tree will undergo pruning to remove any overgrown or undesirable
limbs.
◦ Thinning of Fruits. Prior to actual bagging, fruits will be thinned down
to create space by removing surplus fruits specially those that are very
small , sick or infested fruits in a bunch of fruit. Thinning will also be done
in the T0 treatment. This will be done after a visual inspection of every
pomelo tree.
 Data to be Gathered

◦ Quantity of harvested fruits

No. of marketable and non-marketable fruits. The marketable
fruits are those that are ripe and good enough to command price in
the market. Non-marketable fruits are those that are rotten,
unripe, heavily deformed that will not command any price in the
market. The number of fruits will be counted and tallied.
◦ Quality of harvested fruits
Matured pomelo fruits will be harvested checked for quality by
using average size and cleanliness of skin, two qualities used by
common buyers in buying their preferred pomelo.
◦ Size of pomelo fruit
a.L - Large Size
b.M - Medium size
c. S - Small size

◦ Cleanliness of pomelo skin will be classified as follows:

◦ Grade A - Spotless and shiny skin without any lesion or marks
◦ Grade B - With 1-3 Spots or marks or lesions on the skin
◦ Grade C - With 4 or more Spots or marks or lesions on the skin
Data Analysis

◦ Frequency count, mean, percentage, and Analysis

of variance (ANOVA) utilizing Randomized
Complete Blocked Design were the statistical tool
that will be utilized to treat the data.
Thank You For Listening!